Antiretrovirals reduce HIV transmission in Phase III trial
The HIV Prevention Trials Network reported data from the Phase III HPTN 052 trial suggesting that antiretroviral therapy (ART) can reduce HIV transmission from an infected person to an uninfected spouse or partner. The trial, which enrolled 1,763 couples of which one member was infected with HIV, showed immediate treatment of the HIV-infected person with oral ART significantly reduced the risk of sexual transmission of HIV to the uninfected partner by 96% vs. delayed ART treatment (1 case vs. 27 cases of transmission). Each HIV-infected person was required to have a CD4 cell count between 350-550 cells/mm3 at enrollment. The immediate group began ART therapy upon enrollment, while the delayed group began ART when their CD4 cell count fell below 250 cells/mm3 or if they developed an AIDS-related illness. NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) funded the trial. ...